The present invention relates to soaps, especially transparent soaps, combined with an embedded image layer and/or figurine.
Soaps are made with various ornamental features. Some soaps appeal to children and are shaped like characters or have characters embedded within. These soaps appeal to children and encourage them to bath longer. Other soaps appeal to adults who purchase them to adorn bath areas and the like. Still other soaps contain advertisements which of course appeal to the advertisers.
Bitton, Children""s Toy and Bath Soap Assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,429, Feb. 2, 1993, describes a transparent soap with embedded toy or figurine. Villain, Manufacture of Transparent Soap Tablets containing Advertisements, U.S. Pat. No. 1,827,549, Oct. 13, 1931, describes a transparent soap containing embedded at the middle thereof a piece of paper, metal, cardboard or the like bearing an advertisement.
The decorative soaps described below comprise a transparent soap, an embedded toy, figurine or the like, and an embedded image layer, resulting in a special three dimensional effect. The image layer can be dissolvable or not dissolvable in water. The decorative soaps encourage children to bath longer and also provide a useful decoration for adults who wish to adorn their bathrooms or kitchens with the soaps.
A further embodiment of the invention comprises a transparent soap with an embedded dissolvable image layer. The image layer can be a dissolvable decal. The dissolvability of the image layer is especially important when small children use the soap since once the decal dissolves, there is no residual sharp edges of the decal to cut children or long lasting remnant to create a choking hazard for children curious enough to place the remaining decal in their mouth. The elimination of the residual decal also prevents plumbing problems when the decal is washed down the drain once it peels from the soap.